Like many home chefs, I turn to my favorite blogs for new recipes. But, there are a few vegan and vegetarian cookbooks in my kitchen that I can always use for inspiration and a little guidance as I try new cooking techniques and cuisines.My two very best friends gave me La Dolce Vegan, written by vegan goddess Sarah Kramer, for my birthday several years ago when I was just considering eliminating diary and eggs from my already vegetarian diet. Inspired by Sarah’s words and passion for vegan cooking, I dove into the book trying recipes and broadening my horizons. Years later, I still flip through the cookbook and fold over corners (the banana pancake recipe has a permanent crease).
What I like most about the cookbook are the recipes for replacement ingredients. For example, rather than instructing home chefs to use meat alternative, Sarah provides a recipe for doing it on your own, so the entire meal is made from scratch. Sarah’s, and by extension the cookbook’s, funky, retro approach to vegan cooking and living and the brief stories that accompany certain recipes add personality to the book. And, having entertained a time or two using La Dolce Vegan recipes, I can provide ample omnivores who will attest to the deliciousness of these recipes.
I’m not the only one who loves Sarah and her series of vegan cookbooks; she has become a legend of sorts for vegans, having also penned How It All Vegan, The Garden of Vegan and Vegan A Go-Go. Gourmet retailers can learn more about Sarah and her cookbooks on www.govegan.net.
-Mary
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